Short answer: the Amazon Echo Dot Max. It ranks #3 of 10 powered desktop speakers by sound quality at $119.99; the Denon Home 350 ranks #6 and costs $749, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the Amazon Echo Dot Max: Engadget’s direct verdict against the base Echo Dot: “it’s worth stepping up to the Dot Max over the standard Dot” for sound, since it’s louder and bassier from a 2.5-inch woofer plus a dedicated tweeter rather than one small full-range driver. The tradeoff: Engadget’s main complaint was that it is a real step down from the discontinued Echo (4th Gen) it effectively replaces at the same price: that older speaker paired a 3-inch woofer with dual 0.8-inch tweeters, against the Dot Max’s single 2.5-inch woofer and one tweeter, and frequencies felt smushed together without a clean bass-to-treble separation.
The case for the Denon Home 350: RTINGS measured it getting pretty loud with lossless streaming support from platforms like Roon, Tidal and Spotify, and found its Alexa voice assistant support outstanding, with hands-free far-field mics built directly into the speaker. The tradeoff: RTINGS measured a slightly boomy sound profile out of the box and disappointing directivity, so the sound changes noticeably off to the side of the cabinet, plus compression artifacts as it nears max volume.
Buy the Amazon Echo Dot Max. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Denon Home 350 and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Amazon Echo Dot Max | Denon Home 350 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $119.99 each | $749 each |
| Ranked | #3 of 10 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #6 of 6 in Large Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa Home Theater) | Yes (HEOS multi-room, stereo pair with a second Home 350) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes (2.4/5GHz) |
| App | Yes (Alexa) | Yes (HEOS) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute) | Yes (far-field) |
| EQ | No | Yes (Bass/Treble sliders) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) | No |
| Drivers | 2.5in woofer, 1x tweeter | 2x 0.75-inch tweeters, 2x 2-inch midrange drivers, 2x 6.5-inch woofers |
| Discontinued | No | No |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, 3.5mm aux |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | Yes |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes, 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 3.9" x 4.4" x 4.9" (99 x 112 x 124 mm) | 15" x 9.1" x 7.1" (380 x 230 x 180 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ | Amazon Alexa |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, TuneIn | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2, Roon |
| Weight | - | 14.8 lbs (6.7 kg) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
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Prices on this page were last checked September 22, 2026 at 5:11 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Amazon Echo Dot Max: $119.99 each Amazon eBay
Pros: Engadget’s direct verdict against the base Echo Dot: “it’s worth stepping up to the Dot Max over the standard Dot” for sound, since it’s louder and bassier from a 2.5-inch woofer plus a dedicated tweeter rather than one small full-range driver. RTINGS names it their best budget Alexa speaker, finding the microphone excellent at picking up commands from a distance or in noise, with a balanced midrange for accurate voices, consistent sound across listening angles, and sound quality it calls good for the price. It supports Alexa+ and Alexa Home Theater pairing with a Fire TV Stick.
Cons: Engadget’s main complaint was that it is a real step down from the discontinued Echo (4th Gen) it effectively replaces at the same price: that older speaker paired a 3-inch woofer with dual 0.8-inch tweeters, against the Dot Max’s single 2.5-inch woofer and one tweeter, and frequencies felt smushed together without a clean bass-to-treble separation. RTINGS’ one listed con is that the wired-only design means you cannot carry it around. There is no 3.5mm input, no battery, and Bluetooth is limited to SBC and AAC.
Full Amazon Echo Dot Max review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Alexa) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.9" x 4.4" x 4.9" (99 x 112 x 124 mm) |
| Discontinued | No |
| Drivers | 2.5in woofer, 1x tweeter |
| EQ | No |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa Home Theater) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Amazon Echo Dot Max vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
- Amazon Echo Dot Max vs Denon Home 150
- Amazon Echo Dot Max vs Google Nest Audio
- Amazon Echo Dot Max vs Apple HomePod Mini
- Amazon Echo Dot Max vs Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen
- Amazon Echo Dot Max vs Google Home Speaker
- Amazon Echo Dot Max vs Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen
- Amazon Echo Dot Max vs Amazon Echo Pop
- See all 26 comparisons
Denon Home 350: $749 each Amazon eBay
Pros: RTINGS measured it getting pretty loud with lossless streaming support from platforms like Roon, Tidal and Spotify, and found its Alexa voice assistant support outstanding, with hands-free far-field mics built directly into the speaker. Two 0.75-inch tweeters, two 2-inch midrange drivers and two 6.5-inch woofers are each driven by their own Class D amp, six in total, and the companion app adds bass and treble sliders for room-to-room tuning.
Cons: RTINGS measured a slightly boomy sound profile out of the box and disappointing directivity, so the sound changes noticeably off to the side of the cabinet, plus compression artifacts as it nears max volume. Bluetooth latency measured extremely high on both iOS and Android, making it a poor match for watching video over Bluetooth, and there’s no battery, so it’s an indoor, mains-powered speaker only.
Full Denon Home 350 review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (HEOS) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.4 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 15" x 9.1" x 7.1" (380 x 230 x 180 mm) |
| Discontinued | No |
| Drivers | 2x 0.75-inch tweeters, 2x 2-inch midrange drivers, 2x 6.5-inch woofers |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble sliders) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, 3.5mm aux |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (HEOS multi-room, stereo pair with a second Home 350) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Streaming Services | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2, Roon |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | No |
| USB Input | Yes |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa |
| Weight | 14.8 lbs (6.7 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (2.4/5GHz) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Denon Home 350 vs B&O Beosound 2
- Denon Home 350 vs Sonos Era 300
- Denon Home 350 vs JBL Authentics 500
- Denon Home 350 vs Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen
- Denon Home 350 vs Amazon Echo Pop
- Denon Home 350 vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
- Denon Home 350 vs Apple HomePod 2nd Gen
- Denon Home 350 vs Apple HomePod Mini
- See all 26 comparisons